Flexible battery container and method of use

ABSTRACT

A flashlight apparatus including a body portion formed from a woven material, the body portion having a longitudinal length and forming at least part of an adjustable cavity for containing at least one battery, and a head portion coupled to the body portion and having at least one of an illumination source for providing illumination and a connector for connecting the flashlight to another device. Accordingly, the flashlight can supply power to the another device. The body portion can adjust (e.g., its length and diameter—or area) to the size and number of battery cells contained therein.

PRIORITY

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. patentapplication No. 11/985,691, filed on Nov. 16, 2007, the contents ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a flexible body for acceptingbattery cells, and more particularly to a flexible body for a batterypack, a flashlight, or other devices, which can accept batteries ofvarious numbers and types.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With the recent progress of technology, mobile (i.e., portable) deviceshave become commonplace. However, these devices require a power supply.Typically, a user can determine when to charge or replace a battery toavoid the inconvenience of running low on batteries. For example, usersof portable devices, such as mobile phones, typically charge theirmobile phones when at home, work, etc., so that they do notinadvertently run low on power when using the devices in a mobileenvironment. To this effect, mobile devices typically include a batterypower meter for indicating a charged state.

However, even with the most diligent attempts, portable devices may runlow or out of battery power (i.e., become fully discharged) in whichcase there is need to either charge or replace their batteries atinconvenient locations or times. Thus, while a user may conventionallyuse a power outlet to power and/or charge these mobile devices (e.g.,mobile phones), this may not be possible when outdoors, in an area thatlacks a power supply, or during a power failure.

For example, people often rely on mobile battery-powered devices (e.g.,flashlights, global positioning system (GPS) devices, short messageservice (SMS) messaging devices, cellular phones, or personal digitalassistants (PDAs), etc.) when power fails. However, they do not checkthe batteries of these devices on a regular basis. Accordingly, during apower failure, or other emergency (e.g., a national disaster, terroristattack, etc.) when, for example, flashlight use is typically required, aflashlight that is capable of supplying light may not be availablebecause of discharged or run-down batteries. Further, during variousemergencies, emergency messages may be transmitted using SMS messaging,etc. to certain classes. Accordingly, it is desirable to have anauxiliary portable power source which can provide emergency power to,for example, SMS messaging devices such as cellular telephones and PDAs.

In another example, soldiers stationed at remote locations typically usemobile devices for lighting, communication, data and target acquisition,scopes, night vision positioning and sensing devices, etc. Althoughsoldiers typically carry expected gear such as these mobile devices(e.g., flashlights, communication devices, etc.) and supplies offully-charged batteries on their person or have this gear supplied, thismay not always be the case. For example, existing rigid-body mobiledevices such as flashlights occupy a great deal of space and it may bedifficult or impossible for soldiers to charge existing batteries or toobtain a required number and type of battery for these mobile deviceswhen their batteries run low, are damaged, or become discharged.Accordingly, their lives and mission may be placed at risk because ofthe lack of battery power. For example, a soldier may rely upon aflashlight to provide necessary illumination, a communication terminalfor communications, and a night-vision scope to target an enemy beforethe enemy targets him. However, with the lack of power, these deviceswould be rendered useless and the soldier's life may be placed at risk.

Likewise, emergency personnel and even regular civilians may also relyupon mobile devices and their batteries to provide many life-savingservices or conveniences. For example, during a disaster (e.g., aterrorist attack, fire, etc.) a person may rely upon a flashlight toprovide necessary illumination. However, if the flashlights batteriesare discharged, the flashlight may not be capable of providing thenecessary illumination. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide aflashlight that is compatible with a plurality of battery types andnumber of batteries. Moreover, it is also desirable to provide aflashlight that can be folded upon itself to conserve space. Further, itis an aspect of the present invention to provide a compact battery packwhich is compatible with a plurality of battery types and numbers ofbatteries and that can power a plurality of electrical devices.

Typically, flashlights use one or more batteries, which are seriallydisposed in a cylindrical tube serving as a barrel or body, for power.An electrical circuit is established from a first electrode of the oneor more batteries through a bulb (e.g., a filament, light emitting diode(LED), etc.) and back to a second electrode having an opposite polarity,thus forming an electrical circuit. A switch for interrupting theelectrical circuit is typically disposed between the first and secondelectrodes. The cylindrical tube is typically formed from a rigidmaterial.

Moreover, flashlights are typically used to provide an advertisingmedium. As such, it is desirable to provide a novelty item that iscapable of providing an advertising medium.

Thus, there is a need for an easy-to-use battery-holding package that iscapable of providing power to various devices such as mobile devices(e.g., flashlights, PDAs, cellular phones, GPS devices, photographicequipment, emergency strobes, beacons, etc.) and is compatible withvarious numbers and types of batteries and avoids the problems anddisadvantages of prior art holders.

Additionally, there is a need for an easy-to-use flashlight that has aflexible body that can be folded and is suitable for use with variousnumbers and types of batteries and avoids the problems and disadvantagesof conventional flashlights.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a battery holder apparatus that isparticularly suited for supplying power to mobile devices using variousnumbers and types of batteries.

It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a flashlightapparatus, including a head portion having at least one illuminationsource, and a body portion formed from a woven material and beingcoupled to the head portion, the body portion forming an adjustablecavity for containing at least one battery and including at least oneconductive element (e.g., a strand, etc.) for conducting a current alonga longitudinal length thereof to supply power to the illuminationsource. The adjustable cavity can be adjusted in at least one ofdiameter and length, wherein when the diameter of the adjustable cavityis adjusted the length is adjusted proportionally thereto. It shouldalso be noted that the body portion of the present invention may beflattened and folded upon itself and/or may assume a non-circular shape.However, for the sake of clarity, it will be assumed that the diameterrefers to an inner diameter of the body portion.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a flashlightapparatus that includes a switch for controlling the current and/orvoltage supplied thereto dependent upon a type and number of batteriescontained therein. The flashlight may include a conductive end partbeing in contact with and positioning at least one terminal of anadjacent battery of the at least one battery. The conductive part may belocated in proximity to an end of the adjustable cavity that is oppositethe head and/or tail parts. A controller may be used to adjust voltageand/or current supplied to the illumination source. The controller mayalso be responsive to a user's selection (e.g., via a switch, etc.),battery voltage, illumination source requirements, time (e.g., to causethe illumination source to pulse), etc., so as to control the voltageand/or current as desired or required.

An additional aspect of the present invention is to provide a noveldevice and method for displaying at least logos, text, graphics, etc.formed on the body portion thereof such that when the diameter and/orlength of the body portion is changed, the aspect ratio (i.e., the ratioof the height to the width) of the logos, text, graphics, etc. alsochanges.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a flashlightapparatus, including a body part formed from a woven material forforming an adjustable cavity, the adjustable cavity being adjustable indiameter and/or length, such that a desired number of battery cells orbattery cells having a different type can be located by the body part.The body part optionally conducts current from the battery cells. A headpart is connected to the body part and includes one or more illuminationsources for providing illumination. The size and/or shape of an innercavity of the body portion can be changed so that batteries containedtherein are held in a desired position. Further, a clamp may be providedto adjust the size and/or shape of the inner cavity. An optional lengthadjusting member may be used to locate a terminal of an adjacent batteryin a desired position. An optional biasing element may be used toprovide a biasing force against a terminal of an adjacent battery and/orthe body part.

The body is formed from a woven material. The woven material ispreferably formed from a polymer. The woven material may optionallyinclude electrically conductive and/or optically conductive strands. Thebody may be optionally formed from a metal such as brass, aluminum,copper, or combinations thereof. An optical couple can be provided tooptically couple the conductive strands to the illumination sourceand/or another illumination source. The illumination sources may includelight-emitting diodes (LEDs), laser LEDs, incandescent bulbs, andfluorescent bulbs, electroluminescent (EL) elements, etc. The headportion may include a sheet of material such as a metallic or polymericmaterial, and/or may include one or more weakened lines. The headportion may include an LED.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a controllerfor controlling the illumination source dependent upon a number and typeof battery cells, and a switch for controlling the controller.

It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a batterypack for supplying power to or receiving power from a mobile device. Thebattery pack includes a body part formed from a woven material to forman adjustable cavity which can be adjusted in, for example, diameterand/or length, such that battery cells having a different type (ornumber) can be located by the body portion. The body part can includeconductive strands for conducting current (voltage, etc.) from one ormore batteries contained therein. A head part is attached to the bodypart and may receive current (or voltage) from the body part. Theconnecting part may be attached to the head part, (or in optionalembodiments, the tail or body parts) and conduct electrical powerto/from another device (e.g., a cellular telephone, a battery charger).The connector has an end suitable for supplying or receiving power fromthe other device and may include plug-in jacks, USB connector, etc., asrequired. The battery pack may include a plurality of woven body parts.The battery pack may also include means for controlling current and/orvoltage dependent upon the number and type of the one or more batteriescontained therein and/or the type of connection (e.g., serial orparallel). Accordingly, the battery pack according to the presentinvention may be compatible with various types of devices depending uponthe connector used. The connector may include a flexible wire, etc.

It is yet a further aspect of the present invention to provide a methodfor using an adjustable cell-type flashlight apparatus, the methodincluding forming an adjustable cavity by adjusting a body part formedfrom a woven material, the adjustable cavity being adjustable in bothdiameter and length, such that battery cells having a different type canbe located by the body part, the body part conducting power (e.g.,current and/or voltage from the battery cells), optionally adjusting, bya controller or a user, voltage and/or current received from the batterycells and supplied to an illumination source such that the illuminationsource does not burn out due to excessive voltage and/or current, andproviding illumination by the illumination source. In the method, when alength and/or diameter of the weave is adjusted, the other of the lengthand/or diameter of the weave is changed in relation thereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and other advantages of thepresent invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view illustration of a flashlight including aflexible weave battery holder according to the present invention;

FIGS. 1B-1C are side view illustrations of the flexible weave batteryholder according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross section view illustration of the flashlight takenalong line 2-2 of FIG. 1 according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded side view illustration of the head and tail partsshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 according to the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a cutaway side-view illustration of a flashlight accordingthe present invention including a single D cell battery;

FIG. 4B is a cutaway side-view illustration of the flashlight shown inFIG. 4A with two AA-size batteries inserted within the body partaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 5A is a partial cutaway side-view illustration of a flashlightincluding a single battery cell according to the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a partial cutaway side-view illustration of a flashlightshown in FIG. 5A including two smaller cells according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 6A is a side view illustration of the positioning member shown inFIGS. 5A and 5B;

FIG. 6B is a side view illustration of the positioning member shown inFIG. 6A with the hinged part open;

FIG. 7A is a side view illustration of a conventional push-typepositioning member;

FIG. 7B is a perspective view illustration of another conventionalpositioning member;

FIG. 7C is a perspective view illustration of a conventional positioningmember including a quick release cam member;

FIG. 7D is a side view illustration of a positioning member including aconventional rope adjusting member according to the present invention;

FIG. 7E is a cutaway side view illustration of a positioning memberincluding a second clamping member;

FIG. 7F is a cross sectional view illustration of a plug switchaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 8A is a perspective view illustration of a foldable head portionaccording the present invention;

FIG. 8B is a perspective view illustration of the foldable head portionof FIG. 8A in a folded configuration;

FIG. 8AA is a perspective view illustration of the foldable head portionof FIG. 8A including optional side extensions;

FIGS. 8C-8D are side view illustrations of the foldable head portionshown in FIGS. 8A-B;

FIG. 8E is a side view illustration of a foldable head portion used inthe flashlight shown in FIG. 8AA;

FIG. 9A is a cutaway side view illustration of the head part shown inFIG. 8C mounted in a body part according to the present invention;

FIG. 9B is a flashlight including the head portion shown in FIG. 8Eaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 10A is a cutaway side view illustration of the flashlight of thepresent invention with an adjusting part of the body part overlappingthe head portion;

FIG. 10B is a cutaway side view illustration of the flashlight accordingto present invention;

FIG. 10C is a cutaway side view illustration of the flashlight accordingto present invention having a body part folded about itself;

FIG. 10D is a cutaway side view illustration of the flashlight accordingto present invention having a body part folded about itself;

FIG. 11 is a side view illustration of a flashlight using a fixed tailpart according to the present invention;

FIG. 12A is a perspective view illustration of a flashlight according tothe present invention;

FIG. 12B is a cross section view illustration of the flashlight takenalong line 12B-12B of FIG. 12A;

FIG. 12C is a cross section view illustration of the flashlight of FIG.12B with a single battery cell;

FIG. 13 is a cross section view of a flashlight according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 14A is a perspective view illustration of a battery pack accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 14B is a detailed cross section view illustration of the batterypack of FIG. 14A;

FIG. 15 is a partial cutaway side view illustration of a battery packincluding several flexible weaves for holding the batteries in parallelwith each other according to the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a side view illustration of a plurality of serially placedbatteries in a flexible battery holder according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 17A is a partial cutaway view illustration of a tail part includingadjustment means according to the present invention;

FIG. 17B is a partial cutaway view illustration of the tail part shownin FIG. 17A in an extended position;

FIG. 18A is a partial cutaway side view illustration of a flashlightincluding an adjustable solid barrel;

FIG. 18B is a partial cutaway side view illustration of an alternativeembodiment of the flashlight shown in FIG. 18A; and

FIG. 19 is a side view illustration of battery carrier according to thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described indetail with reference to the annexed drawings. In the followingdescription, a detailed description of known functions andconfigurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may obscurethe subject matter of the present invention.

Note that throughout the present invention, interchangeability ofcomponents is contemplated and the corresponding terms throughout thisspecification including the claims may therefore be substituted for oneanother as desired as would be reasonable to one skilled in the art. Forexample, a light emitting diode (LED) may be substituted for anincandescent bulb. Likewise the flexible battery holder may be attachedto another device (e.g., a cellular phone, a PDA, a battery charger, aUSB port, etc.) for providing power to and/or receiving power from(e.g., in the case of the battery charger) the other device. Powersources used in the present invention may include batteries, capacitors,fuel cells, etc.

A perspective view illustration of a flashlight including the flexiblebattery holder according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1A.The flashlight 100 includes a head part (assembly) 102, a body part 110,and an optional tail part (assembly) 112. Although a description of thehead and tail parts will be given in this application, it should beunderstood that other head and/or tail parts such as, for example,conventional head and/or tail parts may be used with the presentinvention. Moreover, the present invention may also be used with atleast part of a body part of a conventional flashlight. For example,with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,368 B1, entitled “RechargableMiniature Flashlight,” to Maglica et al. (Maglica), the body part 110 ofthe present invention may be used with the head assembly and or tailcapas taught by Maglica. Moreover, the barrel as taught by Maglica can besectioned such that a portion that is adjacent to the tail part isattached to the body part 110 of the present invention such that thetail cap as taught by Maglica can be used with the present invention.Likewise at least part of the barrel that is adjacent to the headassembly can be attached to the body part 110 of the present invention.Accordingly, the present invention may be used with conventionalflashlights and components thereof.

The head part 102 includes a light source (i.e., a light emitter such asone or more incandescent bulbs, fluorescent bulbs, LEDs, etc.), anoptional reflector (or lens) 106, an optional protective cover 114, anda circuit member including an optional switch 108. The body part 110 mayinclude an optional conductive member (e.g., one or more conductivestrands or other conductive elements) that can conduct power to and/orfrom one or more batteries (not shown) contained therein. An optionalconverter such as a voltage/current regulator, may be used to provide adesired voltage and/or current to various elements, such as, forexample, the light source or to the batteries.

The body part 110 is formed using a flexible weave and is attached(e.g., fixedly or releasably) to the head part 102 and/or the tail part112 (or to a barrel part of, for example, a conventional flashlight aswill be described below). Because it is formed from a flexible weave,its size and shape can be adjusted to accommodate different numbers ofbatteries and different types and sizes of batteries. The weave of thebody part 110 is preferably formed using at least some conductivematerial(s) so that it can conduct a current along its longitudinallength or parts thereof. For example, the weave may be formed using, forexample, polymers and/or conductive strands. The polymers may be coatedwith, for example, a vapor deposited metal (e.g., aluminum, etc.) sothat they may be conductive and/or have a desired color (e.g., gold,silver, etc.).

FIGS. 1B and 1C are side view illustrations of the flexible weavebattery holder according to the present invention. As the body part 110is extended longitudinally, angle Θ decrease. Conversely, as the lengthof the body part 110 decreases (e.g., causing a diameter (or area, whichis, for example, normal to the longitudinal axis and located at a givenpoint along the longitudinal axis) of an interior cavity to increase),angle 0 which is determined by one or more strands 111 and thelongitudinal axis L of the body part increases relative thereto. Theweaves in FIGS. 1B and 1C differ in pattern as shown. It should be notedthat although the interior portions of the body part may not assume acircular shape throughout and may assume other shapes such as anelliptical shape, etc. which is determined by, among other things, thebatteries contained within, and the shape of the head and/or tail parts,whether the body part is folded, tied, etc. Accordingly, as the lengthof the body part (or parts thereof) expands/contracts a portion of anarea of a cavity defined within the body part contracts/expandsaccordingly. Weaves may also be known as Braided Expandable Sheathing.Depending upon the use, weaves may include materials such as, forexample, metals, polymers, polymides, aramids (e.g., Aramid™),fiberglass, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1C, the weave has a different pattern from the weave ofFIG. 1B. Further, although not shown, the characteristics of the strandsin a first direction (e.g., the warp) may be different from that of thestrands in the second direction (e.g., the weft) which are interwovenwith the strands of the first direction. Although several strands areshown paired together in either direction and other numbers of strandsmay be paired together (e.g., 2, 3, 4, . . . , etc.), in the preferredembodiment, three strands are paired together in either direction.Further, adequate spacing should be provided between strands in eitherdirection so as to allow for expansion and/or contraction of the weave.Moreover, the electrical devices, such as, for example, LEDs, ELelements, switches, etc. may be coupled to the weave of the body and maybe individually addressable. For, example, if using a single conductivestrands (or group of strands) in a first direction (e.g., the warp), aswitch, an LED, etc. may be placed across a gap in these strands and maybe operative to provide illumination, switching on/off of power,depending upon use. Further, conductive areas of the strings (e.g.,polymer strings) may be controlled so that various electricalcomponents, e.g., capacitors, resistors, switches, illumination sourcessuch as LEDs, etc. may be placed across strands (e.g., strands whichhave a break in their conductors) in the same direction or betweenstrands which cross each other. For example, if components are placedbetween strands which cross each other, a row and column-type addressingscheme may be used. Although a single layer weave is preferred, amultiple-layer weave is also envisioned.

Returning to FIG. 1A, the tail part 112 is attached (either fixedly orreleasably) to the body part 110. The tail part 112 can include avoltage/current regulator and an optional switch (not shown) forcontrolling power to the light source. However, at least some of thesecomponents are optional and may be located in other areas of theflashlight (or battery pack) according to the present invention.

To adjust to the length of the totality of batteries 124 that are storedin the body part 110, either or both of the tail and body parts 112 and110, respectively, may include an optional length adjusting member suchas, for example, a biasing member (such as one or more springs, etc.), ascrew adjuster, and/or elements that position the head and/or tail partrelative to the body part such that one or more batteries containedwithin the flashlight 100 are held in a desired position. In thisregard, for example, although not shown, an end of the body part 110 maybe attached to a ring (not shown) that can be slideably located relativeto the longitudinal axis of the head part or, for example, a head partincluding part of a barrel part such as is taught by Maglica.Accordingly, the ring can slide along part of, for example, the barrelthat is attached to the head part. The ring part can then be biasedusing a biasing member such as a spring or clamp that is mounted to thebarrel or head parts. Therefore, dependent upon the type and number ofbattery cells included in the body part 110, the biasing means canadjust at least part of the length of the body part accordingly suchthat one or more batteries contained in the body part are firmly held inposition and terminal contact (i.e., contact between circuit means andbattery terminals as well as contact between adjacent battery cells—ifmultiple serial cells are used) is maintained. Portions of the strandswhich comprise the body part may be bonded to each other using anysuitable method (e.g., welding, melting, adhesives, etc.).

Many of the components of the present invention may be placed indifferent parts and/or areas of the present invention. For example, withproper discretion, switches, biasing means, voltage/current regulators,etc., may be placed in the body, tail and/or head parts, as desired.Moreover, based on the location of these components, a circuit can beestablished to conduct power from batteries to the illumination source.

A cross section view illustration of the flashlight taken along line 2-2of FIG. 1A according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 2. Forthe sake of clarity, FIG. 2 has not been cross hatched. The body part110 is connected to the head and/or tail parts 102 and 112,respectively, using any suitable method. For example, the head and/ortail parts 102 and 112, respectively, may be attached to the body part110 using a compressive fit, a clamp (such as a ring, a band, a springclamp, an elastic band, etc.), an adhesive bond, an epoxy bond, aheat-type bond, a friction bond such a radio frequency (RF) bond, etc.,as desired. The head part 102 includes the light emitting source 104,the protective cover 106, a circuit which can include the switch 108.Although the head and tail parts are depicted as having substantiallysimilar diameters, such need not be the case. For example, the head partcan have a diameter that is much greater or smaller than the tail part.Moreover, the diameter of the head and/or tail parts can be greater orsmaller than the expected size of batteries placed in the body part.Likewise, partial barrel portions that are attached to the head and/ortail parts may also have different diameters or have various shapes suchas elliptical, square, etc., as desired.

The circuit includes circuitry necessary to complete a circuit forproviding power from the batteries to the light source and may includeelectrical contacts, lugs, leads, etc., as is known in the art. Abenefit of the present invention is that the woven body part may form atleast part of the circuit. As shown in FIG. 2, the circuit optionallyincludes a voltage/current controller (converter) 116 that can include avoltage and/or current regulator to regulate the power supplied from theone or more batteries so that it conforms to that required by the lightemitting source (or the batteries). For example, if the light emittingsource is a 3.0 volt incandescent bulb and 4 batteries are seriallyplaced in the body part such that the output voltage is 6.0 volts, thevoltage/current controller would limit the output voltage to about 3.0volts or less to protect the bulb. Moreover, when using an LED, it maybe desirable to limit voltage and/or current so that they aresubstantially within the LEDs threshold. Additionally, overvoltageand/or overcurrent conditions may be produced for limited periods oftime (e.g., controlled by a timer, controller, etc.) to provide desiredillumination. For example, 4 volts may be provided to a 3 volt bulb forshort periods of time to provide increased illumination without causingsignificant damage to bulb's filament. Further, depending upon the typeof battery, the voltage/current controller may control voltage and/orcurrent so that the batteries parameters (e.g., overcurrent rating) arenot exceeded. If used as a battery pack, the voltage/current controllermay also control the charging of the cells and/or output power toanother device as desired.

The voltage/current controller 116 may include circuitry to adjust thevoltage and/or voltage (and/or current) waveform as desired. Thiscircuitry may be coupled to the switch 108 and/or other control means(such as a switch, etc.) that can control, as desired. For example, bycontrolling the waveform of voltage provided to the light source,flashing light (e.g., for emergencies, etc.) can be provided. Thevoltage/current controller may control the amplitude of, for example,the voltage provided to the light source so control an amount ofillumination. The voltage/current controller may be preset to providedesired voltage and/or current outputs or may be adjusted in real-time.For example, depressing switch 108 twice may set a flashing functionthat would cause the light emitting source 104 to output a “blinking” orflashing light as opposed to a constant light. Further, a particularlight pattern (e.g., flashing pattern of infrared, polarized, etc.light) may be used which may be beneficial to, for example, identifyusers.

In summation, the voltage/current controller may include circuitry thatwould output other voltages and/or functions, as desired. For example,for additional light output, the voltage/current controller may output avoltage that is greater than the rated voltage of the light emittingsource (e.g., 3.0 volts in the above-stated example) for limited orunlimited times, as desired. Moreover, the voltage and/or currentcontrol means may output optional functions (such as a step function,etc. to cause the light emitting source to output variable light output(e.g., a blinking function, etc.), and/or control the color of one ormore LEDs that may be used for the light emitting source. In thisregard, the voltage/current controller means may include amicroprocessor, ramp function generators, and/or timers (e.g., a 555timer) etc., as necessary to control its operation. The voltage/currentcontroller may also include voltage and/or current limiters, which maybe controlled by the microprocessor, as necessary to output propervoltage and/or current. A voltage sensor may also be included to detectthe output voltage of the one or more batteries placed in the body part.Circuitry, such as the controller, may then determine the output voltageand control elements such as an optional voltage and/or currentregulators to output a desired voltage and/or current. For the sake ofsimplicity, these circuits will not be shown. Further, the flashlight ofthe present application may includes a flexible printed circuit (FPC) inone or more of the head, tail, and/or body parts for conducting currentas desired.

The lens 106 is preferably a standard flashlight lens for reflectinglight and may assume various shapes, as desired. Although not shown, thelens may be adjustable relative to the light source 104 such that the“beam” of illumination may be adjusted, as is known in the art (e.g.,see, Maglica) and will not be discussed further for the sake of clarity.

The tail part 112 can include a main part 140, a ring portion 130, anoptional end part 136 (i.e., an end cap), and an optional biasing member138. The end part 136 and the ring portion 130 are screwably attached tothe main part 140 using threads 132. The biasing member 138 is optionaland can be used to provide a biasing force against one or more batteries(or other elements) contained in a cavity of the body part 110. Theweave of the body part 110 is preferably made from a non-elasticmaterial. However, if the weave is made from elastic material, it mayprovide a biasing force. Accordingly, the biasing member 138 may bereplaced with a conductive contact element (e.g., a conductive tape,strip, a ball, the weave itself, or any suitable element) contacting atleast a portion of an adjacent cell and forming at least part of acircuit necessary for conducting power from the adjacent batteryterminal.

Although the head and the tail parts are shown incorporating differentelements, many of the elements that are included in the head part may beincluded in the tail part (in lieu of or in addition to those containedin opposite part). For example, the tail part can include thevoltage/current controller 116, the switch, and/or other elementscontained in the head part. Similarly, the head part may includeelements such as a biasing member, as desired.

Although not shown in FIG. 2, the head and/or tail parts 102 and 112,respectively, may include a screw mechanism to control the distancebetween surfaces or elements which contact opposing polarities (i.e.,sides) of the batteries. For example, a screw mechanism (or othersliding-type device) can be used to adjust the end part 136 along thelongitudinal axis of the flashlight such that the elements contactingthe opposing polarities of the batteries are “snugged” together.Accordingly, the flexible body portion can also be snugged against thebatteries to maintain their position.

An exploded side view illustration of the head and tail parts shown inFIGS. 1A and 2 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 3.The optional end part 136 is attached to the main part 140 using anysuitable method. As shown, both the end part and the main part includethreads 132 and 132, respectively, for screwably attaching to eachother. The optional biasing member 138 is placed within receptacle 148of the end part and may be held in place using any suitable method(e.g., a friction fit, adhesives, glues, etc.), as desired. The ringpart 130 is attached to the main part using any suitable method. Forexample, threads 132 may be used to attach the ring part to the mainpart. When attached to each other, surfaces 144A and 144B of the mainpart and the ring part are located adjacent to each other such that thebody part 110 can be firmly held in place. In this regard, a roughenedsurface (e.g., including slight protrusions, etc.) may be used to betterlocate the body part 110. Moreover, surfaces 144A and 144B may haveslightly different angles relative to each other such that they mayconcentrate forces in a limited area to better maintain contact with andhold the body part 110. As shown the body part 110 is formed from aflexible weave (only one strand of which is shown in FIG. 3 for the sakeof clarity). A contact element 142 may be used (if, for example, thetail part is formed of a non-conductive polymer) to form a circuitbetween the body part 110 (or a conductive element of the body part) andthe biasing member 138, as shown. However, if the end part 136 is formedfrom a conductive material (e.g., aluminum) or if other circuit elementsare provided, optional elements, such as, for example, the contactelement 142, may not be necessary.

The head part 102 includes a first part 102A and a second part 102B(which is similar to the ring part described above with respect to thetail part) which may be attached to each other using any suitablemethod, such as, for example threads 132. The body part 110 (only asingle strand of which is shown for the sake of clarity) is placedbetween surfaces 144D and 144C of the first and second parts,respectively. The body part 110 is preferably sized such that batteriesof a given length may be placed within it

Although not shown, the tail part 112 preferably has a diameter that issmaller than the head part 102. However, as will be described below, thehead and/or the tail parts may be other than circular elements.Accordingly, either or both of the head and tail elements should have asize and a shape such that the largest and smallest batteries that isenvisioned to be placed within the body part may pass through openingsin either or both of the head and tail parts and be properly held inposition by either or both of the head and/or tail parts.

A cutaway side-view illustration of a flashlight according the presentinvention including a single D cell battery according to the presentinvention is shown in FIG. 4A. The flashlight 400 is similar to theflashlight shown in FIGS. 1A-3 and includes a head part 402, a body part(e.g., made from a conductive weave such as brass) 404, and a tail part406. As shown the body part 404 expands and contracts in diameter tofirmly hold the D cell battery. The biasing means provides a biasingforce upon the body part so that the electrical contact can bemaintained between the battery terminals and the flashlights circuitry.The head part is similar to the head part shown in FIG. 1, with anexception being the extension of contact 408 in the lateral direction asshown.

A cutaway side-view illustration of the flashlight shown in FIG. 4A withtwo AA-size batteries inserted within the body part according to thepresent invention is shown in FIG. 4B. The flashlight 400 includes ahead part 402, a body part (e.g., made from a conductive weave such asbrass) 404, and a tail part 406. As shown the body part canexpand/contract in diameter to firmly hold the AA batteries in place. Abiasing member 405 provides a biasing force upon the body part so thatelectrical contact can be maintained between the battery terminals andthe flashlights circuitry.

A partial cutaway side-view illustration of a flashlight including asingle battery cell according to the present invention is shown in FIG.5A. The flashlight 500 includes a head part 502, a body part 504, acontact part 506, and a positioning member 510. As shown, the body part504 is optionally molded to the head part 502. The contact part 506completes an electrical circuit between the end of an adjacent battery124 (e.g., see, end 124B) and the body part. In the above example, thebody part 504 is preferably made from a conductive material (e.g., acopper braid) or may be made substantially from a polymer with one ormore conductive strands (e.g., copper wire, coated wires, etc.), asnecessary, to form an electrical circuit between the transfer part andthe head part (e.g., the switch, the bulb, etc., as necessary totransfer power for illumination). The contact part 506 is held incontact with an adjacent terminal of the battery (e.g., surface 124B—asshown) by the positioning member 510. As shown, the contact partpreferably comprises a ball bearing. However, the contact part may bemade in other shapes and/or sizes as desired. For example, the contactpart may include a nut, a round or oval slug, a sheet of foil, etc. Thepositioning member tightens around the body part so that the contactpart is held in a proper position. Suitable positioning members caninclude clamps, spring clips, etc. that can provide a sufficient forceto hold the contact part in place. Further, if desired, the body partmay be tied in a knot so that the batteries are held in place. Moreover,the body part may directly contact a terminal of an adjacent battery sothat power from the battery can be transferred to the body part.

A partial cutaway side-view illustration of a flashlight shown in FIG.5A including two smaller cells according to the present invention isshown in FIG. 5B. As shown, the body part expands in length andcontracts in diameter, as necessary, to contain the two cells 124. Anadditional aspect of the present invention is to provide a novel deviceand method for displaying at least logos, text 503, graphics, etc.formed on the body part 504 thereof such that when the diameter and/orlength of the body part 504 is changed, the aspect ratio (i.e., theratio of the height to the width) of the logos, text, graphics, etc.also changes.

With reference to FIGS. 6A-7D various positioning members will be shown.However, other suitable clamps may be used with the present invention.For example, the positioning member may comprise a string, rope, or evenpart of the body part itself. Further, the body part (and/or otherelements) may be melted into position, as desired by the user. This maybe beneficial for emergency one-time use devices such as flashlights,battery chargers, etc.

A side view illustration of the positioning members shown in FIGS. 5Aand 5B is shown in FIG. 6A. The positioning member 600 is preferablyformed from a polymer and includes a base 602, a first and second sides604 and 605, respectively, hinge 606, a hinged part 608, one or morebiasing elements 610 associated with at least one of the base portion orthe top portion, latching elements 612 and 614 associated with anextension 626 of the hinged element 608 and the second side 605,respectively. The hinged part 608 is held in a locked position by alatching elements 612 and 614 which are latchedly attached to eachother. The second side 605 includes a tab part 616 and a weakened part618 such that when a force is applied against the tab part 616, a notch614 of the second side 605 is displaced away from the latching element612 and the hinged element 608 can be rotated about the hinge 606. Anoptional locating element 622 positions the latching part 612. Biasingelements 610 are attached on at least one side to the base part 602 orthe hinged element 608, respectively. Biasing elements 610 may alsoinclude protrusions 624 to prevent slippage of the body part when thepositioning member is locked. The free end of the biasing elements 610may slidably engage the adjacent surface when the biasing element isdisplaced.

A side view illustration of the positioning member shown in FIG. 6A withthe hinged part open, is shown in FIG. 6B. When opened, the hinged part608 rotates about the hinge 606, as shown by arrow 601.

A side view illustration of a push-type positioning member according tothe present invention is shown in FIG. 7A. The push-type clamping member700 is known in the art and includes a body part 702, an anvil part 704,at least one hole 706 defined between the anvil part and an opening 706Aof the body part 702 for accepting a desired element to restrain (i.e.,the body part 702 in the present application), and a push element 708for accepting a force applied by a user to displace the anvil part 704and release the clamping member 700. A biasing element (e.g., aspring—not shown) may be included within the body part 702 to maintain abiasing force against the inserted element to restrain (i.e., the bodypart 702). Push-type positioning means are commonly used to adjuststraps (or cords) on clothing and other personal items such asbackpacks, etc.

Alternatively, rather than using a separate positioning means, a knotmay be tied using the body portion to close the cavity formed in thebody portion and maintain the one or more batteries contained within thecavity of the body portion. Accordingly, a conductive object (e.g., theball bearing, a coin, a slug, metal foil, etc.) may be inserted into thecavity such that it the conductive object may be in contact with asurface of an adjacent battery (e.g., the positive of negative terminalof the battery) so that a circuit may be formed between the adjacentbattery terminal and the body part 702. However, if the body part 702directly contacts the adjacent battery terminal, the conductive objectmay not be necessary. Further, an adhesive such as, for example, aconductive adhesive, may be used to attach the body part to an adjacentterminal.

A perspective view illustration of a positioning member according to thepresent invention is shown in FIG. 7B. The positioning member 710includes a body 712 having a cavity 714, and at least one clampingmember 716 (e.g., a screw—as shown, a cam, etc.) for applying pressureagainst an element to be positioned (e.g., the body part).

A perspective view illustration of yet another conventional positioningmember including a quick-release cam member is shown in FIG. 7C. Thepositioning member 720 includes a main part 722 having a holding part724 and a hinge part 726, and a clamping part 728 rotatably attached tothe main part 722 and rotating about the hinge part 726 for applyingpressure against an element to be positioned (e.g., the body part)within an opening 730 formed between a surface 728S of the clamping part728 and the holding part 724. When the body part is properly insertedand the quick-release cam member is in a closed position, the body partcan be locked in place when the clamping part is rotated in thedirection of arrow 732. Such positioning members are conventionally usedto adjust the length of various clothing articles such as belts.

A side view illustration of another conventional positioning memberincluding a conventional rope adjusting element is shown in FIG. 7D. Thepositioning member 740 includes a main part 742, which is similar toconventional rope (or laundry-line) adjusting members, such as, forexample, a “Cloth Line and Utility Line Tightener” sold by the LehighGroup, Macungie, Pa. In use, an optional plug 744 can be placed withinthe body part 746 and the main part 742 slideably engages (e.g., in theunengaged position) the body part 746. The main part 742 is then“locked” in place so as to hold the optional plug 744, which, in thepresent case, is conductive and thus completes a circuit between anadjacent battery terminal 748C of battery 748 and the body part 742. Theplug 744 may be shaped and sized as desired. Additionally, the plug 744may include an internal switching member, such as, for example, a shock(or impact) -operated switch that would complete a circuit (i.e., switch“on”) when subject to a shock and/or an impact. The switch may alsoinclude a timer for switching “off” a circuit after a given amount oftime. Such switches are commonly used in novelty toys, and thus, for thesake of clarity, a further description will not be given. However,optional plug 744B (shown in FIG. 7F) is shown in a cross-sectional viewincluding switch 741 for completing a circuit between a first contact743 (located on at least one end) and a second contact 745. The firstcontact 743 is suitable for making contact with a battery terminal andthe second contact is suitable for making contact with the body part 746(or end part—not shown). The switch preferably switches on for apredetermined period of time when subject to an impact (such as bystriking against a user's hand) and includes a timer (and/or acontroller) for turning the switch off after the predetermined period oftime elapses. Although not shown, the end of the body part 746 may befolded into itself, as desired. Although a plug 744 is shown, othercontact members which can complete an electrical circuit between anadjacent battery terminal and the body part may be used as desired.

A cutaway side view illustration of a positioning member including asecond clamp is shown in FIG. 7E. In use, a conductive body part 746 isfolded about itself and may form a loop 748L, as shown, and an optionalsecond clamp 752 (i.e., a “U” clip, a spring clip, etc.) holds the loop748L in place such that a contact part 756 maintains contact with anadjacent battery terminal 748C so as to form a circuit between theadjacent battery terminal 748C and the body part 746. The secondclamping may include a strand and/or a wire that is tied into place, aspring, etc. Further, it is also envisioned that the positioning membermay include a device such as a clamp, a strap, etc. (now shown) which isplaced over the loop 748L so as to hold the loop in place and prevent itfrom unraveling. Moreover, an adhesive may be used to prevent the loopfrom unraveling.

A perspective view illustration of a foldable head portion according tothe present invention is shown in FIG. 8A. The head portion 800 isformed from a sheet of material 802 having first and second weakenedlines 804 that delineate (or substantially delineate) a main portion 806and first and second side portions 808 and 810, respectively. The sheet802 includes top and bottom sides 812 and 814, respectively located onopposite portions thereof, and side portions 816. The sheet ispreferably made from a polymeric material that is semi rigid so that itsshape is maintained during use. On or more optional holes 820 are formedin the sheet 802 and provide an optional access path to illuminationsource leads not shown. The flashlight head formed according to thepresent invention may be folded and placed in a standard mailingenvelope. If desired, additional side portions (not shown) can beattached at to the side portions 808 and 810 at the outer periphery ofthe side portions.

A perspective view illustration of the foldable head portion of FIG. 8Aafter it has been folded is shown in FIG. 8B. The first and second sideportions 808 and 810 are folded at lines 804 so that their respectivetop and bottom sides 812 and 814 are respectively adjacent (or otherwisenext to) each other. The top and bottom sides 812 and 814 may beoptionally attached to each other using, for example, an adhesive tape(not shown), etc.

A perspective view illustration of the foldable head portion of FIG. 8Aincluding optional side extensions is shown in FIG. 8AA.

A perspective view illustration of a foldable head portion used in theflashlight shown in FIGS. 8A-8B is shown in FIG. 8C. The head portion800C includes an illumination source 822 that is mounted to an optionalmount 824 that includes an optional voltage/current regulating means(not shown). The illumination source 822 may include any suitable lightemitting device (e.g., an LED, as shown). The mount 824 includes acontact 826 for making contact with an adjacent terminal of an adjacentbattery (not shown). The contact 826 may include a biasing member (e.g.,a spring—not shown) for maintaining a circuit, as desired. The surface806S of the main portion 806 may be coated with a desired material toreflect or otherwise interact with illumination provided by theillumination source 822. For example, the surface 806S may be coatedwith a vapor deposited aluminum for reflecting incident light rays.Accordingly, depending upon desired reflective characteristics (e.g.,desired beam dispersion, focusing, etc.), the first and second weakenedlines 804 may be shaped as desired to cause the surface 806S to assume adesired shape when the head portion 806 is folded. In alternativeembodiments, the illumination source 822 may be surface mounted. Forexample, if more curvature of the surface 806S is desired, the weakenedlines 804 can be curved away from each other towards the center of thesheet 802. Conversely, if less curvature of the surface 806S is desired,then the weakened lines 804 would not bow out as much towards the centerof the sheet 802. The LED 822 may be surface mounted. A resistor of aknown value may be used to provide a specified (i.e., within range)current/voltage to the LED 822. In other embodiments, the surface 806Scan include an electroluminescent (EL) light source for providingillumination. In yet other embodiments, a plurality of light sources(e.g., incandescent, LED, etc.) may be used. For example, the mainportion 806 may include the EL light source (surface mounted LEDs, etc.)for providing illumination.

A side view illustration of a foldable head portion used in theflashlight shown in FIGS. 8A-8B is shown in FIG. 8D. The foldable headportion 800D is essentially similar to the head portion shown in FIG. 8Cwith a difference being the LED is mounted to a surface 806S′ which liesopposite surface 806S of the sheet 802.

A partial cutaway side view illustration of a foldable head portion usedin the flashlight shown in FIGS. 8AA is shown in FIG. 8E. The foldablehead portion 800E is essentially similar to the head portion shown inFIG. 8C with a difference being the inclusion of additional sideportions 832 (only one of which is shown) which are folded back over theside portions 808 and 810. Accordingly, a mounting procedure can besimilar to the mounting procedure of the foldable head section 800D. Thehead portion may be attached to the body part using an adhesive such asa conductive adhesive, etc.

A cutaway side view illustration of the head part shown in FIG. 8Cmounted in a body part is shown in FIG. 9A. The flashlight 900 includesa body part 902 and the head part 904. The body part 902 is preferablyconductive: The body part 902 is folded adjacent to end 906 and containsthe head part 904. The head part 904 preferably has a vapor depositedmetallic coating deposited on at least part of a surface which is incontact with a conductive part of the body part 902. Accordingly,illumination source 908, such as an LED, can be supplied power via acircuit which can include the body part 902. Although the head part 904is oval when viewed from the front of the flashlight 90, the body partcan assume a circular shape (or a substantially circular shape) aboutthe battery (or batteries) 124 dependent upon the size and shape of thebatteries.

A flashlight including the head portion shown in FIG. 8D is shown inFIG. 9B. The head part 904 may be inserted into a cavity of the bodypart 902 of the flashlight 900. An end portion (or both end portions) ofthe body part 902 may be folded back over themselves into the cavity andoptionally over the side portions of the head part 904. The head part904 may be adhesively (or otherwise) attached to the body part 902.Alternatively, clamping means, rings, clips, etc., may be used to holdthe head part 904 in position relative to the body part 902. Forexample, the spring clips 912 and/or 914 may be used to hold the headpart 904 in position relative to the body part 902 by providing abiasing force against the head and body parts 904 and 902, respectively.When using spring clips 912 and/or 914 (i.e., conventional paper clips),it is preferred that the body part 902 is folded about itself so that atleast a portion of the head part 904 is sandwiched between the body part902 adjacent to the fold 918, and thereafter the spring clips 912 and/or914 be used to provide a biasing means to secure the body and head parts902 and 904 together. If a conventional spring clip (e.g., 914) is used,its handles may be folded over itself (e.g., see, arrow 915). The body902 is optionally folded back over itself.

The circuit can include a contact member 907 which transfers currentfrom an adjacent terminal of the battery 924 to the body part 902 whichthen transfers the current to the head part 904. The LED 908 can then beprovided with the current via biasing element 910 and the head part 904.It is assumed that the direction of flow of the current is not of importin the present invention.

An optional ring (having a desired shape, e.g., being circular, oval,etc.) and having a cross section that is similar to a front section of acorresponding head or tail part so as to be in accord with the shape ofat least one of corresponding head or tail parts may be placed such thatit sandwiches adjacent head and/or tail parts to that the body part andthus holds the head and/or tail parts in a desired position. Althoughnot shown, the tail part can be made similar to the foldable head partwith an exception being the lack of an optional illumination source.

Other types of suitable positioning members may also be used. Forexample, a clamp, a conventional rope holder, such as, for example, alaundry-line adjuster described above, a rope holder having an openingfor accepting an object (e.g., a rope) and a clamping member forapplying pressure against the inserted object, etc. may be used.Conventional strap holders (e.g., an “E” type strap holder havingseveral openings may also be used. These strap holders are typicallyused to adjust straps on for example luggage and articles of clothing.For the sake of clarity as these positioning members are known in theart, a further description thereof will not be provided.

A cutaway side view illustration of the flashlight of the presentinvention with an adjusting part of the body part overlapping the headportion is shown in FIG. 10A. The flashlight 1000 is similar to theflashlight shown in FIGS. 1-3 and includes a head part 1002, a body part1004 (e.g., made from a weave which preferably includes one or moreconductive strands, and an optional tail part 1006. However, unlike theflashlight shown in FIG. 4A, the head part 1002 is extended so thatexcess material from the body part 1004 may be placed about the headpart 1002 to take up any excess slack (an amount of which depends atleast partially on the size and number of batteries contained in thebody part 1004). Accordingly, the tail part 1006 may be fixed inlocation relative to the body part 1004. An adjustable clamping means1008 (e.g., a spring clamp, a “C” clamp, a shrink fit clamp, an elasticband, etc.) situated about an outer part of the head part 1002, may betightened about both the body and head parts 1004 and 1002,respectively, so as to hold the body part 1004 in a desired positionrelative to the head part 1002. Accordingly, one or more batteries 124placed at least partially within the body part would then be held inposition and a circuit can be provided. The adjustable clamping meansmay 1008 may include a screw clamp (with, for example, an optionalbutterfly type screw) that can be easily adjusted by the user. Suchclamps are well known in the art and for the sake of clarity a furtherdescription thereof will not be provided. Although not shown, the headpart 1002 may include a “flared out” portion (preferably locatedadjacent to end 1014) to better hold the body part 1004 in a desiredposition. An end 1010 of the body part 1004 is optionally fixedlyattached to the body part 1004 (e.g., by molding it to the body partusing, for example, material 1012, etc.). As shown, the head part 1002may include an optional cutout 1016 or other area so that the body part1004 may be molded thereto. Although not shown, the end 1010 of the bodypart 1004 may either be left free or may be molded into a circular (orother shape) ring (not shown) that can be located slideably or fixedlyto the head part 1002. Although the battery 124 is shown at leastpartially positioned within a cavity formed by the head part 1002 thehead part 1002 may be optionally sized such that it is smaller indiameter than at least the largest battery that is envisioned to be usedwith the flashlight. Accordingly, contacts can be provide (or extended)such that a proper circuit means is provided between an adjacent batteryterminal and, for example, the illumination source. Clamp 1008 mayinclude clamps such as spring clamps, screw clamps, ring clamps (e.g.,shrinkable clamps, elastic clamps), etc. as is well known in the art andmay be commonly found holding hoses in place in automobiles (e.g.,radiator hose clamps).

A cutaway side view illustration of the flashlight according to presentinvention is shown in FIG. 10B. The flashlight 1020 is essentiallysimilar to the flashlight shown in FIG. 10A above. However, the diameterof the head part 1002 is smaller and a second biasing means 1016 isincluded. An optional circuit may include a switch and/or other elementsfor completing a circuit from the body part 1004 to the illuminationsource, etc. and is not shown for the sake of clarity. Moreover, itshould be understood that other flashlight head, tail and partial bodyparts may be incorporated with the present invention. Moreover,depending upon application, conventional head and/or tail parts may beused.

A cutaway side view illustration of the flashlight according to presentinvention, having a body part folded about itself, is shown in FIG. 10C.The flashlight 1020 is essentially similar to the flashlight shown inFIGS. 10A and 10B above. However, the body part 1004 is folded overitself in at least one area at folds 1040 so as to further adjust itslength. A clamping means 1008 is used to hold the body part in place(preferably at the fold such that the fold does not unfold). Althoughthe one or more folds 1040 are shown adjacent to the head part, they mayalso be located in other areas as desired. Accordingly, the flashlightbody 1004 may be shortened for storage or to further adjust to the sizeand the amount of batteries contained therein. It is noted that althoughthe body having a weave according to the present invention can belengthened or shortened depending upon its diameter, other adjustmentmeans may be necessary to properly accommodate a plurality of batterydiameters and/or lengths. Additionally, the number of batteries usedwill also affect the length of the body part. Accordingly, one or morefolds may be used to further adjust a desired length of the body part.

A cutaway side view illustration of the flashlight according to presentinvention having a body part folded about itself is shown in FIG. 10D.The flashlight 1020 is essentially similar to the flashlight shown inFIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C above, however, the body part 1004 is folded overitself in at least one area at folds 1040 in multiple areas so as tofurther adjust its length. The folds may also “roll” with the body asdesired. Accordingly, the fold may be repositioned or removed entirelyas desired. A second clamp 1008 is also shown. For the sake of clarity,the clamps shown in the present invention are not shown in a fullytightened position.

A side view illustration of a flashlight 1100 using a ring tail partaccording to the present invention is shown in FIG. 11. The body part1104 and head part 1102 are similar to the flashlights shown in FIGS.10A-D. However, the tail part includes a ring (or plate) 1106 having anoptional opening 1109. The ring is optionally molded or otherwisefixedly attached to the body part 1104, the diameter of an optionalopening 1109 in the tail part 1106 may be smaller than the diameter ofeither or both of a conductive element (e.g., a ball bearing) 1108 or abattery 124 (or batteries) such that the conductive element 1108 or thebattery 124 is held in place within the body part 1104. It is alsoenvisioned that rather than using the conductive element 1108, the ringpart may include a center section that has a concave/convex shape thatis suitable for contacting an adjacent terminal of the battery 124. Thehead part 1102 includes a loading means such that the batteries may beloaded through the head part as is known in the art. Additionally, thehead part 1102 includes an optional switch (not shown) for completing acircuit and switching on the flashlight, as desired. The body part ispreferably made from a weave that includes at least one conductivestrand for conducting a current along at least part of its longitudinallength. In other embodiments, the ring part may have an inner diameter(or an opening) that is larger than an outside diameter of thebatteries. In other words, the opening of the ring part should be largerthan the outside portions of the batteries such that the batteries canbe inserted through the ring and into the inside of the body part. Anobject such as a cylinder, a rod, etc. may then be inserted within thering part and locked into place such that it contacts an adjacentterminal of the batteries and holds the batteries in position.

A perspective view illustration of the flashlight according to thepresent invention is shown in FIG. 12A. The flashlight 1200 includes abody part 1204 including a collapsible section that is made from aflexible polymer (e.g., plastic). The body part 1204 includes at leastone opening for inserting one or more batteries (not shown), a tail part1206, and a head part 1202. The head part 1202 includes an illuminationsource 1208 (such as an LED, etc.) for providing illumination. Theflashlight 1200 includes an optional switch 1210 which can be located onthe tail part 1206, the body part 1204 or the head part 1202 (as shown)and an optional lens 1212. The body part 1204 includes folds 1216defining bellows 1222 that will be more clearly illustrated with respectto FIGS. 12B and 12C. An optional reflector 1220 provides reflectivemeans of forming a desired beam of illumination. The reflector 1220 andor the illumination source (e.g., the LED) 1208 may be adjustablerelative to each other so that the beam may be focused as desired.Although a description of the head and tail parts 1202 and 1206,respectively, will be given in this application, it should be understoodthat conventional head and/or tail parts may be used with the presentinvention. As described above, the batteries 124 may be placed within acavity formed by the body part via an opening in the head and/or tailparts 1202 or 1206, respectively, or by removal of at least a part ofthe head and/or tail parts 1202 or 1206, respectively from theflashlight 1200. As shown, the tail part 1206 is formed integrally withthe collapsible body part 1204. Accordingly, the head part includes ascrew member for removing it from the body part 1204, or for removingits elements (e.g., the bulb reflector, lens, etc.) so that the one ormore batteries may be inserted/removed from body part's 1204 cavity.Such removal means may include a ring that which is screwably attachedto the head part 1202 and which holds one or more of the illuminationsource, reflector, etc., in place. As such removal means are known inthe art, for the sake of clarity, a further description thereof will notbe provided.

A cross section view illustration of the flashlight taken along line12B-12B of FIG. 12A, is shown in FIG. 12B. For the sake of simplicity,FIG. 12B has not been cross hatched. The body part 1204 is optionallyformed integrally with the tail part 1206, and includes a cavity forholding one or more batteries 124. The body part 1224 can fold at folds1216 so that the body part 1224 can collapse upon itself. An optionalbiasing member (e.g., a spring) 1218 for contacting an adjacent terminalof the adjacent battery 124 forms at least part of a circuit forsupplying power to the illumination source 1208. An optional switch 1210is used to turn on the flashlight. In addition to providing aconventional on/off function, the switch 1210 may optionally include acontroller, timers, etc., for periodically turning on/off (i.e.,flashing) the flashlight 1200. Additionally, an optional voltage/currentregulator may be included to regulate the voltage and/or currentsupplied to the illumination means 1208 such that the illuminationsource 1208 does not burn out. The switch may be included with thevoltage/current regulator or may be placed in series or in parallel inthe circuit, as desired. If formed from a non-conductive polymer, thebody part may include a vapor deposited coating on at least one surfacethereof such that it may conduct current along at least part of itslongitudinal length. Alternatively, a flexible conductive tape, wire,etc., may be molded integrally with, or attached to, the body part 1204so that it can conduct. Accordingly, a circuit including an optionalswitch 1210 and/or an optional voltage/power regulator controlsillumination of the illumination source 1208. The conductive coating orelement (not shown) is preferably located adjacent to an interior(and/or an exterior) surface of the body part 1204 and/or the tail part1206 so that it can be coupled to the biasing means 1218.

A cross section view illustration of the flashlight of FIG. 12B withonly a single battery cell is shown in FIG. 12C. For the sake ofsimplicity, similarly to FIG. 12B, FIG. 12C has not been cross hatched.As shown, the flashlight 1200 may include any number of a given size ofbattery cells, as desired. For example, the flashlight 1200 may beexpanded to include 5 cells or may be compacted and include 1 cell.Moreover, the flashlight 1200 may be folded for shipping and/or storageand thus, taken very little space compared to typical 4 or 5 cellflashlights. Accordingly, the number of cells that the flashlight 1200may include may be determined by adjusting the size and or number ofbellows 1216 included with the body part 1204. A ring clamp (e.g., ascrew clamp, a ring, an elastic band, etc.) may be positioned over thefolded sections of the body part 1204 such that they are held againstthe battery 124 and do not open unexpectedly. An optional adjustmentmechanism can also be included in either the head and/or tail parts ofthe present invention to adjust the biasing means (or other object whichcontacts a terminal of an adjacent battery) as will be described below.

Although not shown, the inside/outside diameters of the head and bodypart may be sized such that at least one of them may be placed withinthe other (e.g., the tail part placed within a cavity of the head part)when batteries are not present. Additionally, the body may be foldedover itself to further compact the flashlight according to the presentinvention. Accordingly, the flashlight may be compacted which canminimize storage area.

A further advantage of the flashlight according to the present inventionis that it is lightweight and is not subject to being bent or other wisedamaged by shock or other impacts which would typically damage thebodies of typical rigid flashlights. This can be of critical importance,when for example, a bent barrel of a typical flashlight would preventthe removal/insertion of batteries.

As shown the body part 1204 can contract and/or expand in diameter tofirmly hold one or more batteries contained therein. The biasing memberprovides a biasing force upon the body part so that the electricalcontact can be maintained between the terminals of the one or morebatteries contained therein and the flashlights circuitry. The head partis similar to the head part shown in FIG. 1.

It should be noted that the present invention is not drawn only for thespecific use of the head and/or tail parts shown and described in thisapplication. Other head and/or tail parts may be used with the presentinvention. For example, conventional head and/or tail parts may be used.For example, a Mini-Mag™p0 (Manufactured by the Mag Instrument Co.,Ontario, Canada) flashlight head, tail and/or barrel parts may be usedwith the present invention. For example, if it is desired to use thewoven body of the present invention with a head part (i.e., assembly, ofthe well known Mini-Mag™ flashlight, then woven body part of the presentinvention can be attached to a part of the barrel assembly of theMini-Mag™ flashlight. Accordingly, the head assembly (of the Mini-Mag™flashlight) would then be attached as usual to at least a part of thecorresponding barrel assembly. It is also envisioned that conventionaltail parts (i.e., tail assemblies) of conventional flashlights orcomponents thereof can also be used with the present invention.Moreover, conventional flashlight components such as circuit componentswhich, for example, may include switches, bulbs, lamp holders, etc., mayalso be used, and for the sake of clarity, a further description thereofwill not be given.

In alternative embodiments, an advertising means in which the sizeand/or aspect ratio (i.e., the ratio of height to width) of a text(e.g., names, etc.) graphics (e.g., logos, etc.), etc. formed on thebody portion can change as the body portion (part) is expanded and/orcontracted. Accordingly, depending upon the size of the one or morebatteries contained within the body part, the body part willexpand/contract in, for example, diameter/length which would change theaspect ratio of the text and/or graphics. It is also envisioned that thetext and/or graphics may be formed by controlling a surface opacity ofthe strands. For example, if the strands of the present invention arecoated with a vapor deposited layer (e.g., aluminum), the coating can beplaced so as to form text and/or graphics. Accordingly, if the strandsalso conduct light, then the text and/or graphics may be lit up byilluminating the light conducting strands. Alternatively, the backgroundof the text and/or graphics may be lit up, thus providing a noveleffect.

Suitable materials for construction of the flashlight can includemetals, polymers, etc.

For example, the flexible body part may be made from metallic materials,polymers, glass fibers, etc., as desired. If made from a metallicmaterial (e.g., brass, copper, aluminum, silver, gold, etc.), theflexible body portion would be conductive and would be capable oftransferring power along its longitudinal length. However, if theflexible body portion were made from a non-conductive material (e.g.,some polymers, glass fibers, etc.), conductive stands (e.g., metallicstrands), etc. may be woven into (or otherwise attached to) the bodyportion so that electrical power can be conducted along the length ofthe body portion using this added material. In yet other alternativeembodiments a wire or other type of conductive lead may extend across atleast a portion of the flexible body part so that an electrical circuitto supply power (e.g., to the bulb, LED, leads, etc.), may beestablished. Moreover, if made from a polymeric material, the polymersmay be made from a glow-in-the-dark material such that the flashlightcan be readily found in the dark. The polymers may also be coated with avapor deposited metal (e.g., aluminum) such that they are conductive.

It should be appreciated that the different parts of the presentinvention may be mixed and matched with each other to form a desiredtype of flashlight. Additionally, a coupling device may be used with,for example, the body part of the present invention, such thatelectrical power may be provided to other mobile devices, as required.The coupling part can replace the head part or work with the head partof the present invention. Further. The coupling part may be coupled toseveral body parts (e.g., woven body parts according to the presentinvention) that are attached to the coupling part in parallel or seriesso as to provide a desired voltage/current. Accordingly, the batterypack according to the present invention may contain one or more batterycells. The coupling means may include its own voltage/current regulatorso that a desired voltage/current can be provided. The voltage/currentregulator may be preset, automatically set by a controller, and/or setby user, as desired. When used as a battery pack, a switch may not benecessary.

Thus, due to the compact size of the present invention, it may be easilycarried with other mobile devices. For example, the body part (and/orother parts of the present invention) may be folded and carried, forexample, in a compartment of a mobile device (e.g., PALM™, a PDA, a cellphone, an MP-x (e.g., MP3, MP4, etc.) type player, imaging devices suchas cameras, thermoelectric (TE) devices such as sensors and/or heattransfer devices, liquid crystal devices, piezo-electric devices,transducers, controllers, photovoltaic devices, etc.) and used toprovide power to these mobile devices when their own batteries run low,etc.

In alternative embodiments, the polymers from which the weave of thebody portion is woven may include one or more light conducting strands(or be entirely composed of light conducting strands). Accordingly, theends of these light conducting strands may be coupled (e.g., directly orusing an optical ring, etc.) to a light source (e.g., an LED, a LaserLED, etc.). Therefore, illumination provided by the light source may beemitted by the light conducting strands. Thus, a novel effect can beprovided. Additionally, a controller and one or more illuminationsources may be provided such that different colors of light may beproduced at, for example, different times to cause the body part of theflashlight to glow with different hues, thus providing a further noveleffect. The illumination sources (or source) used to illuminate the bodypart may be the same as the illumination sources shown in the figures ofthe present invention or may be different from them. One or moreswitches (or switching means) may be provided to control theseillumination sources. For example, with reference to FIG. 11, the ring1106 may include one or more Laser LEDs optically coupled to the bodypart 1104 so that light emitted from the LEDs would be coupled to thestrands of the body part, which would, of course, be formed at least inpart from an optically conductive material. The LEDs in the ring 1106may be powered using the battery 124 or may be powered using their ownpower source (e.g., miniature battery cells included in the ring). Anoptional switch to turn on/off the LEDs included in the ring 1106 mayalso be provided, as desired.

A cross section view of the flashlight including partial barrelsaccording to the present invention is shown in FIG. 13. The flashlight1300 includes a head part 1302, a body part 1304 and a tail part 1306.As shown, it is assumed that parts of each of the head, body, and tailparts 1302, 1304, and 1306, respectively, are formed using a conductivematerial. The body part 1304 is attached to both the head part 1302 andthe body part 1304 using any suitable means (e.g., molds, clamps, rings,adhesives, etc., as desired). As shown, the body part 1304 may beattached to the tail and head parts 1302 and 1306, respectively, usingrings 1308 (e.g., which can include pressure-fit rings, adjustableclamps, etc., as desired). Each of the tail and head parts 1302 and1306, respectively, includes a corresponding main section 1310 and 1312,respectively. The tail part 1306 may include a cap 1314 which may bescrewably attached thereto, a biasing means (e.g., a spring, etc.) 1316and a switch 1318. When switched on (i.e., turned on), the switch 1318completes an electrical circuit from the biasing means to the body part1304 via the cap 1314 and the main section 1312 (if the cap and mainsection are conductive). However, separate circuit means may be includedso that the circuit from the switch to the body part does not have touse the cap and main section, which would be beneficial if the cap andmain section were made from a non-conductive material such as plastic(which may for example lack a conductive surface). Optional “0-rings”1334 may be used to provide waterproofing and a desired amount offriction. The switch 1318 may be tuned on/off by pressing an optionalflexible membrane 1318M that protects the switch. The head part 1302includes the main section 1310 and an optional lens/reflector section1320 (that can be fixedly attached to the main section, if, for example,variable focusing is not desired). The lens/reflector section 1320includes a lens 1324, and a reflector 1326 and is screwably attached tothe main section 1310 using threads 1322 such that the lens/reflectorsection 1320 can be moved along a longitudinal axis of the flashlightrelative to the main section 1310. Accordingly, the reflector 1326 canvariably focus light being provided by a bulb 1328. The bulb 1328 isheld by an optional positioner 1330 that is screwably attached to themain section 1310. An optional locator 1336 is screwably attached to thepositioner 1330 and uses compressive fit to hold the bulb 1328 inposition. Many of the components of flashlight 1300 are similar toconventional flashlights, such as one manufactured by the GarityCorporation, and, for the sake of clarity, a further description, willnot be given.

A perspective view illustration of a battery pack according to thepresent invention is shown in FIG. 14A. The battery pack 1400 includes ahead 1402, a tail 1406 and a body 1404 joining the head and tail parts1402 and 1406, respectively. The body part 1404 is either fixedly orreleasably attached to either or both of the head and tail parts 1402and 1406, respectively, as described elsewhere in this application (withrespect to flashlights, etc.). The head part includes a connector suchas a cord 1408 for outputting power to a desired device such as a mobiletelephone 1410. The connector 1408 includes an adapter 1412 that isadapted to fit a port or attachment point on the attached mobile deviceand provide power thereto and, for the sake of clarity, a furtherdescription will not be given. A switch and/or voltage/currentregulating means (not shown) may also be provided to supply the propervoltage/current and desired times to the attached device.

The head and/or tail parts 1402 and 1406 may be similar to the headand/or tail parts of flashlights shown and described in the presentapplication, and for the sake of clarity, a further description will notbe given. However, if desired, the head and/or tail parts can bedesigned specifically for a battery pack (in which case, for example,the head and/or tail parts can include circuitry for charging a batterycontained therein) and elements such as reflectors, bulbs, lenses (andassociated elements), which are required for a flashlight, may be absentor removed.

For example, a detailed cross section view illustration of a batterypack including a head part that is similar to the main section of FIG.14A is shown in FIG. 14B. The lens/reflector section and bulb areremoved from the flashlight shown in FIG. 13, and a connector 1408B isattached to a head part 1402B in a similar fashion to form a batterypack that is similar to that shown in FIG. 14A. The connector 1408includes one or more wire leads for conducting current to and/or fromthe battery pack. The connector 1408 may be connected to the head partusing, for example, a friction fit, a compressive fit, screw means,latch means, etc., so that one or more components of the connector maybe attached to the head part as desired. Likewise, the connector 1408may be formed from one or more components which can be assembledtogether using a friction fit, a compressive fit, screw means, latchmeans, etc., so that a user can easily assemble the connector and/orbattery pack. For example, the connector 1408 may include a connector1408B part that can be inserted into a jack part 1408C of connector1408. In alternative embodiments, the connector may be directly attachedto the body part. Further, a flexible cord is optional.

A partial cutaway side view illustration of a battery pack includingseveral flexible weaves for holding the batteries in parallel with eachother according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 15. Thebattery pack 1500 includes one or more battery holders 1502A and 1502Bwhich are similar to the body parts or portions as described elsewherein this invention and have an interior portion for holding one or morebatteries. As shown, holder 1502B includes a weave which is similar tothe body part 110 as described elsewhere in this invention, and holder1502A includes a folding-type element which is similar to body part 1204as described elsewhere in this invention. Although different types ofbattery holders 1502A and 1502B are shown, the battery pack may beformed using similar or different types of holders. The battery holdersmay be attached to a main part 1504 (e.g., for charging/discharging)using any suitable means. For example, the battery holders 1502 may bemounted using adhesives, bonds, a friction fits, etc. In the preferredembodiment, a ring 1508 is mounted to an end of each of the batteryholders 1502. The rings are preferably conductive and may be releasablyattached to the main part 1504 using any suitable means such as a screwfit, a friction fit, a latch fit, a magnetic fit, etc. For example, thering may include a latch area 1510 that engages a prong 1511 on the mainpart 1504. The ring 1508 has an opening for inserting batteries into acavity of the holders. Conductive end parts 1506 are located at an endof the holders and couple an adjacent terminal of a battery containedwithin a respective holder to the holder (e.g., to the weave). Optionalsprings 1514 provide a biasing force for maintaining contact to aterminal of a battery contained within a respective holder such that acircuit can be established to charge/discharge the battery. As shown,the springs 1514 are mounted to the main part 1504. However, one or moreof the springs 1514 may also be mounted at an opposite end of theholders 1502. For example, conductive end parts 1506 may include aspring 1514. The main part 1504 may include proper circuitry forcharging/discharging the batteries attached thereto. For example, suchcircuitry can include a 110/220V wall plug for receiving AC power, anadapter for receiving/transmitting power to a mobile device (e.g., acellular telephone, a PDA, etc.), a 12 plug for receiving/transmittingpower to an automobile-type 12V adapter, etc., as desired. Accordingly,circuitry for receiving/transmitting power such as a voltage regulator,switches, etc., may be included in the battery pack of the presentinvention. However, as this circuitry is well known in the art, for thesake of clarity, a further description thereof will not be given.

A side view illustration of a plurality of parallel placed batteries ina flexible battery holder according to the present invention, is shownin FIG. 16. A flexible battery holder (which is similar to the flexibleweaves described elsewhere in this application) 1602 includes an openingin which the batteries 124 are located in parallel. One or more rings(not shown) may be placed adjacent to the ends of the batteries suchthat the voltage and/or current of the batteries may be combined asdesired. Accordingly, the ring may either include a single conductiveelement or may include an insulator part and contacts which are formedso as to conduct current to/from the batteries to increase the voltage,if desired. Accordingly, the ring may be attached to an end part (notshown) using a conductive lead or may be attached using a biasing meanswhich may itself conduct electricity.

The battery pack according to the present invention may include acharger for receiving power from another device (e.g., alternatingcurrent from an AC device—such as a wall plug), a direct current (DC)device—such as a car charger, and for charging batteries contained inthe battery pack. The charger may include a converter such as aregulator for regulating power provided to/from the batteries as isconventionally known in the art. As converters are well known in theart, for the sake of clarity they will not be discussed in detail.

A partial cutaway view illustration of a tail part including adjustmentmeans according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 17A. The tailpart 1700 is similar to the tail part shown and described with referenceto FIG. 13. However, an adjustment mechanism (such as a telescopingmechanism) is included to snug an optional biasing member 1704 againstan adjacent battery contact terminal (not shown). The optional biasingmember 1704 is held in position by a first cylinder (i.e., a telescopingelement) 1706 having protrusions 1710 suitable for engaging a cam (i.e.,a splined section) 1708 extending radially across the diameter of thefirst cylinder 1706. The cam 1708 is part of a second cylinder 1712which encloses at least part of the first cylinder 1706. The secondcylinder 1712 may also include detents 1714 positioned as part of thecam 1708 for holding the protrusions 1710 and thus, the first cylinder1706 in a desired position. The second cylinder 1712 is preferablyscrewably attached to and held in position by an optional isolation ring1716. A third cylinder 1718 is at least in part sandwiched between thefirst and second cylinders 1706 and 1712, respectively, and includesnotches 1720 for engaging the protrusions 1710 such that when the thirdcylinder 1718 is rotated in a direction that is radial to thelongitudinal axis of the tail part 1700, the notches 1720 engaging theprotrusions 1710 cause the protrusions 1710 (and thus the first cylinder1706) to rotate correspondingly. Accordingly, the protrusions 1710 aremoved in the longitudinal direction (i.e., telescopes, as indicated byarrow 1701) by the cam 1708. The third cylinder 1718 is attached to anend cap 1722 using any suitable means (e.g., threads, adhesives,pressure bonding, friction fitting, etc., as desired). The end cap 1722includes an optional switch 1724 for completing a circuit as describedelsewhere in this application. When including the optional switch 1724in the end cap 1722 it is desirable to electrically insulate the thirdcylinder 1718 from a the body of the end cap 1722 so that an electricalcurrent would have to pass through the switch 1724 before entering thebody of the end cap 1722. Accordingly, an insulator 1726 is placedbetween the end cap 1722 and the third cylinder 1718 for providing thedesired electrical insulation. When switch 1724 is “on,” an electricalcurrent is passed via an optional conductive means, such as optionalspring washer 1728, to an optional outer ring 1730 that is screwablyattached to an attachment ring 1732 which is attached to a body part1702 for holding one or more batteries, as discussed elsewhere in thisapplication. The body part 1702 is attached to the attachment ring 1732using, for example, a clamping means 1734 which can include acompressive ring, a spring clamp, an adjustable clamp, etc. Accordingly,it is preferred that the biasing means 1704, the first through thirdcylinders 1706, 1712, and 1718, respectively, the body of the end cap1722, the spring washer 1728, the outer ring 1730, and the attachmentring 1732 are conductive so that a current can be passed from batteryterminal to the body part 1702 via the optional switch 1724 when theswitch is turned on. An optional voltage/current regulating means (notshown) may also be included for regulating at least one of the voltagesand/or currents, as desired. A locking member such as a detent on thespline (as shown) or ratcheting members, notches, friction fits, camlobes, etc., on for example, rotating members or on the telescopingmember, etc., may be used to lock the telescoping element in a desiredposition. For example, a ratcheting mechanism, tooth and notchmechanism, etc., may be used to restrict the rotation of the end cap1722 when in a locked position.

A partial cutaway view illustration of the tail part includingadjustment means according to the present invention shown in FIG. 17A,is shown in FIG. 17B. As shown, when the third cylinder 1718 is rotatedas shown by arrow 1703 in a direction that is radial to the longitudinalaxis of the tail part 1700, the first cylinder moves along thelongitudinal axis of the tail part 1700 as shown by the arrow 1701.

A partial cutaway side view illustration of a flashlight including anadjustable solid barrel is shown in FIG. 18A. The flashlight 1800 issimilar to the flashlight shown in FIG. 13 with a difference being theinclusion of a first barrel part 1802 that slidably engages a secondbarrel part 1804 such that the first barrel part 1802 can slide into acavity of the second barrel part 1804 (or vice versa). An optionalbiasing member (e.g., a spring, a screwable ring, a clamp, etc.—notshown) may be used to provide a biasing force causing the first andsecond barrel parts 1802 and 1804 to move away from each other in thedirection of arrow 1808. Accordingly, if the barrel parts are attachedto head and tail parts 1302 and 1306, respectively, a tensile force isimposed across the ends of the body part 1304 which causes the body part1304 to contract about (i.e., by decreasing its diameter) and positionone or more batteries contained therein. It is also envisioned that alocking mechanism (not shown), may be used to “lock” the barrels inplace once they are placed in a proper position relative to each other.Such locks may include notches, screw operated cam mechanisms (such asare typically used in plumbing), etc., as is known in the art. Forexample, a ring (not shown) may be screwably attached to, for example,an exterior portion of the first barrel part 1802 via threads (notshown) on the exterior surface of the first barrel part 1802. This ringcan then be moved such that so that a portion of it contacts the secondbarrel part 1804 to urge it to slide away from the first barrel part1802. Likewise, the first and second barrel parts may be screwablyattached to each other so that there length may be adjusted. As shown,the first and second barrel parts are shown attached to the head andtail parts. However, the barrel parts may be formed integrally with thehead and tail parts if desired. Further, one of more “0” rings may beused to seal the interior portions of the barrel parts. Further, similar“0” rings may be placed between the head and tail parts, if desired. Abenefit of the present invention is that one or more barrel parts and/orhead and tail parts may be stacked within and about each other so thatoverall size may be reduced in a folded state. Further, variousbatteries types or different numbers of batteries may be used, asdesired. The barrel parts of the present application may be used withconventional head and/or tail parts, as desired.

It is also envisioned that at least one of the barrel parts may beconnected to a battery charger or another mobile device toreceive/transmit power. For example, the second barrel part may beconnected to a ring part for inserting into a battery charger or to aconnector part (e.g., via a ring part or directly) so that the barrelparts may be connected to a mobile device (e.g. a cell phone, etc) forsupplying power to the mobile device. The weave may then be connected toan adjacent end of the barrel part or may be connected to the ring orconnector part, as desired.

A partial cutaway side view illustration of an alternative embodiment ofthe flashlight shown in FIG. 18A, is shown in FIG. 18B. Flashlight 1810is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 18A and includes a head part1812, one or more telescoping barrel parts such as first and secondbarrel parts 1816 and 1814, respectively, a woven body part 1818, and atail part 1820. The head part 1812 may include any suitable head or aconnection mechanism for connecting the flashlight to, for example,another device such as, cellular phones, radios, chargers, etc., asdesired. An optional biasing member 1832 may be connected to the headpart 1812. The first and second telescoping barrel parts 1816 and 1814,respectively, are slideably located relative to each other. The wovenbody part 1818 has first and second ends which are respectively attachedto the first and second barrel parts 1816 and 1814 so that the length ofthe woven body part 1818 may be adjusted by sliding the first and secondbarrel parts 1816 and 1814 relative to each other. However, inalternative embodiments, the length of the woven body part may beadjusted independently of the barrel parts. The tail part 1820 isoptionally removably attached to the second body part 1814 using, forexample, threads 1822 or other suitable means. A switch (not shown) maybe connected to one or more of the head, barrel or tail parts, asdesired.

As shown, the tail part 1820 can be slidably located relative to thesecond barrel part 1814 using, for example, the threads 1822 whichengage corresponding threads 1824 of the second barrel part 1814. Thetail part 1820 includes an optional length adjustment mechanism foradjusting its length to correspond with the number and type of batteriescontained within the body part 1818. Any suitable length adjustingmechanism may be used. For example, the adjusting mechanism shown inFIGS. 17A-17B may be used. As shown, the optional length adjustingmechanism of the tail part 1820 includes one or more telescoping members(1826, 1828), such as, first and second telescoping members 1826 and1828, respectively. The telescoping members may be locked into positionusing any suitable locking mechanism. For example, a notch and spline, afriction fit, a clamp, etc., may be used. As shown, the tail part 1820includes an optional biasing member 1830 attached to the secondtelescoping member 1828 for contact with an adjacent battery terminal.However, in alternative embodiments, one or more of the telescopingmembers or a main portion of the tail part may contact the adjacentbattery terminal. Further, one or more of the telescoping members may bebiased by a spring into an extended position, as desired. The flashlight1810 may also include a locking mechanism for locking the first andsecond barrel parts 1816 and 1814, respectively, in position relative toeach other. Suitable locking mechanisms may includes clamps, threads,friction fits, etc., as desired. Optional gaskets 1806 may be used toseal the barrel from outside elements. Likewise, one or more optionalgaskets (e.g., an O-ring—not shown) may be placed between barrels andadjacent head and/or tail parts so as to seal the cavity containedwithin the flashlight 1810 from the elements.

Further, a conductive element may be used to electrically connect thefirst and second barrel parts to each other. In the preferredembodiment, electrical power is transferred to the head part via, forexample, a circuit which includes the contact 1830, the first and secondtelescoping members 1826 and 1828, respectively, the tail part 1820, andthe first and second barrel parts 1816 and 1818, respectively. The headpart includes an illumination source and switch for controlling theillumination source.

A slip ring may be used to connect one or more ends of the body part toa respective barrel part such that one or more of the barrel parts maybe slidably located or rotated relative to each other and/or the bodypart. Further, it is also envisioned that the tail part may be formedintegrally with the second barrel part.

A side view illustration of battery carrier according to the presentinvention is shown in FIG. 19. The battery carrier 1900 includes a wovenbody 1902 which is optionally “tensioned” using a biasing member such asa spring 1904. The spring 1904 provides a tensile force to, for example,first and second rings 1906 and 1908 that are respectively attached tofirst and second ends 1910 and 1912, respectively, of the body 1902.Accordingly, when batteries 124 are placed within the cavity of the body1902 and the first and second ends 1910 and 1912 move in oppositedirections from each other, the body 1902 shrinks around the batteries124 to firmly hold the batteries 124 in place. Thus, the body 1902automatically conforms to the diameter of one or more inserted batteries124. Optional end parts 1916 and 1920, respectively, connect (e.g.,releasably—using a latch means, etc.) to the respective first and secondrings 1910 and 1912. The optional end parts 1916 and 1920 may includecontact parts such as biasing members such as springs 1914 and 1924which provide a biasing force against adjacent battery terminals andprovide a path for electrical contact. For example, spring contact 1914couples the adjacent battery terminal to the end part 1916 which isitself coupled to the body part 1902 and/or to other elements, e.g.,switches, barrels, etc. Optional steps, 1928A and 1928B are used tooptionally position various battery types according to diameter andtherefore type. Accordingly, for example, a AA-type battery would fitinto the area having the smallest opening, while, a D-type battery wouldbe prevented from fitting into this area, as desired. Contact 1924couples an adjacent battery terminal to desired circuitry such as lead1925 for providing power to a desired component such as a (e.g., a bulb,a switch, etc.), as desired. In other embodiments, contact 1924 caninclude a bulb, a bulb contact, a non-biasing contact, etc. which iscoupled to an adjacent battery terminal. The end parts are optionallyconductive such that they may conduct power. However, if desired, theend parts may be formed from an insulator. For example, as shown, endpart 1920 is preferably formed from an insulator. Although not shown,insulators may be provided to isolate conductive elements, etc.

It is also envisioned that the first and second ends of the body 1902may be attached to first and second barrel parts (e.g., 1902 and 1904)that are slidably attached to each other as shown in FIG. 18, in whichcase a biasing means and/or a locking assembly may be used to eitherbias or lock the first and second cylinders in place. In use, thebattery carrier of the present invention may be placed within aconventional flashlight body (or one that is designed to accommodate thebattery carrier of the present invention) and provide a novel means foradjusting to a wide variety of battery types and numbers which can be ofcritical importance especially during emergencies. Furthermore, thebattery carrier of the present invention may be inserted into otherdevices, such as the battery charger of the present invention and/orinserted within the battery compartments of conventional mobile devicesto provide power to these devices. Accordingly, a user can substitute,for example, a smaller battery for a larger battery.

Certain additional advantages and features of this invention may beapparent to those skilled in the art upon studying the disclosure, ormay be experienced by persons employing the novel structure of thepresent flashlight, chief of which is that it provides the ability touse different types and numbers of cells in a flashlight. Additionally,it minimizes the space required to store a flashlight. Other advantagesinclude lighter weight, lower cost, and a reduction in the individualcomponents for manufacture. Additionally, a novel advertising means isprovided. Additionally, a multi-cell flashlight that may packaged withinan envelope and mailed using standard mailing techniques is be provided.

Further, the present invention may be used with batteries having variousshapes and sizes. For example, a typical 9V battery may be used with thepresent application if a suitable terminal connector is used. Moreover,various batteries such as common Lithium (Li) ion batteries may be usedwith suitable connector terminals.

Additionally, the body part of the present application may be foldedover itself and inserted into the cavity of the body part. Accordingly,a small trap can be created to trap, for example, fish.

While the invention has been described with a limited number ofembodiments, it will be appreciated that changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the original claimed invention, and it isintended that all matter contained in the foregoing specification anddrawings be taken as illustrative and not in an exclusive sense.

1. A battery pack apparatus, comprising: a main portion; one or moreadjustable body portions attached the main portion and formed from wovenmaterial, the body portion defining at least part of an adjustablecavity for containing at least one power source, wherein the bodyportion comprises at least two strands defining an angle at a pointwhere they intersect with each other, the angle changing when theadjustable cavity of the body portion is adjusted.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more adjustable body portions furthercomprise a ring configured to be attached to the main portion.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the main portion further comprisescircuitry for receiving power from an other source comprising analternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) source.
 4. The apparatusof claim 1, further comprising a tail portion configured to be connectedto at least one of the body portion and an adjacent terminal of the atleast one power source.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a radius oran area which is normal to the longitudinal length of the body portioncan be adjusted so as to form the adjustable cavity for containing theat least one power source.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein when thediameter or the area of the adjustable cavity, at a point that islocated along the longitudinal length of the body portion, is adjusted,the length of corresponding parts of the body portion is adjustedproportionally thereto.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the atleast one power source comprises a battery, a fuel cell, or a capacitor.8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the woven material includes atleast one of electrically conductive strands and optically conductivestrands, the electrically conductive strands conducting a current alonga longitudinal length of the body portion.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1,further comprising one or more cylinders configured to cover at leastpart of the body portion.
 10. A battery pack apparatus, comprising: abody portion formed from woven material, the body portion forming atleast part of an adjustable cavity, the adjustable cavity beingadjustable in at least one of diameter and length, such that one or morebattery cells having a different number or type can placed in at leastpart of the adjustable cavity of the body portion; at least oneconductive element for conducting power to or from the battery cells; anend portion connected to the body portion; and a connector connected tothe end portion and conducting power to or from another device.
 11. Thebattery pack of claim 10, further comprising a converter which controlspower that is supplied to, or received from, the one or more batterycells.
 12. A battery pack for a power source, comprising: a collapsiblebody portion having one or more weakened lines defining one or morefolds, and defining at least part of an adjustable cavity for containingone or more power sources, the cavity being adjusted in length byfolding parts of the collapsible body portion at a corresponding fold ofthe one or more folds; an attachment portion configured to be secured tosecure the body portion to another portion; and a tail portionconfigured to be secured to the body portion opposite the attachmentportion such that when the body portion is folded, the distance betweenthe head and tail portions changes accordingly thereto.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 12, wherein the head portion is configured to attachto a main portion.